Arch Manning 2026 NFL Draft projection: 3 best landing spots for the Texas QB

Arch Manning enters 2025 with as much intrigue as any quarterback in college football. The arm talent is obvious, the decision-making keeps improving, and the pedigree speaks for itself. If his trajectory holds, he’ll be in the thick of the “first QB off the board” conversation come the 2026 NFL Draft.

Plenty of teams will do homework on him, but three franchises stand out as especially compelling fits based on timeline, roster construction, and organizational appetite for a long-term face of the franchise.

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn

The Steelers feel like the cleanest on-ramp. Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year deal in June and has openly framed 2025 as likely his last ride. Even if he decides to go one more year, Pittsburgh’s quarterback horizon is measured in months, not years.

A succession plan that lets a top prospect marinate behind a Hall of Famer for a season -- inside a stable building with a blue-chip defense and a strong WR1 --checks every box. A post-Rodgers depth chart could be tailor-made for a rookie to step into a pro-ready structure, with coaching that values timing, toughness, and situational football.

If the Steelers are within striking distance next April, they profile as a team that could either sit tight and pounce or maneuver to secure their long-term answer.

Dallas Cowboys

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys - Source: Imagn

Dallas remains the league’s pressure cooker -- and its biggest megaphone. The Cowboys are built to contend annually, and their offensive core gives any young QB a legitimate runway: a premier WR1, a reliable tight end, and an offensive line that, when healthy, can lean on people.

The wildcard is timeline. If Dallas decides a reset is needed at quarterback heading into 2026 (cap, age curve, or performance), Jerry Jones has never shied from bold moves to supercharge the brand and the depth chart. Manning in a star helmet would bring scrutiny, but also immediate infrastructure: weapons, national windows, and a coaching staff used to high-leverage football.

For a polished prospect who thrives on rhythm and intermediate precision, the fit is easy to imagine.

New York Jets

NFL: New York Jets at New York Giants - Source: Imagn

The Jets’ present belongs to Justin Fields; their future is still being written. Fields is set to start 2025, and the front office has been vocal about his rebound potential. If he takes off, New York won’t be shopping for a quarterback in 2026.

But if the season ends with more questions than answers, the Jets are exactly the type of win-now roster that could pivot hard to a blue-chip rookie: elite WR1, dynamic RB1, a defense ready to win today, and a market that embraces a marquee signal-caller.

Manning would walk into real weapons and a defense that shortens games—ideal conditions for a rookie to grow without having to be a one-man show from Day 1. Either way, the Jets belong in the conversation because their 2026 quarterback decision tree still has multiple branches.